There are so many new cars joining the LEGO Technic Range on August 1, be it the super detailed, fully functional 42172 McLaren P1, the affordable Keonigsegg Jesko Absolut or the 42182 Apollo LRV. If you want any of these cars to move, you need to push them along the tabletop yourself. But not all of the new releases rely on a steady hand to propel them from Point A to Point B…

The 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car is motorised and remote-controlled and comes with a brand new Technic Move Hub with a rechargeable battery.

Let’s find out how a dedicated Motor Hub integrate into a remote-controlled race car model?

The set has 843 pieces and will be priced at $AUD249.99/$USD169.99/149.99€/ £169.99. It is available for preorder at LEGO.com com…now. Thanks to the LEGO Group for providing this set for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

The Box

The Box mentions that you will need a smart device and says that your new set is remote-controlled, can go at high speed, and has working lights. However, it does not mention that you will need a USB-C Cable to charge the battery. Not all smart devices have moved over to USB C for charging yet, so I do feel it is a little presumptuous not to include this information.

Parts

The parts came in six numbered paper bags, with a plastic bag containing the wheels and fibreoptic lines. There is a sticker sheet with plenty of race day details. There are a few grand recolours in bright blue, while this wheel arch has been recoloured to black for the first time.

Technic Move Hub

There is also a white cardboard box containing the new Technic Move Hub. This is a completely integrated motor and light hub which, as of today, connects to the Control + App to drive the Porsche model, but is otherwise an expensive, heavy brick, with a USB-C port and a rechargeable Li-Ion battery.

Irony of ironies: When installed in the model, the hub is actually inverted, compared to these photos, which makes sense – as that way, you have access to the power button from underneath. Please pardon my inverted hub photos.

For the sake of this description, orientation is taken to be determined by the alignment of the embossed channel IDs, along with the way that the hub might be mounted within a typical motor vehicle.

The hub measures 16 modules long, 9 modules wide and 5 modules high. Another 1.5 modules high when the battery is installed. The power button and the power indicator LED are located on the bottom of the hub, so they are accessible from beneath the model. 

Towards the rear of the hub, there are two motor channels – A and B – mounted to the left and right rear respectively. They both have outputs one module up and one in from the side and end – at right angles to each other. The side and end connections rotate in the same direction

At the front of the hub is motor C – the moving point here is in the centre – 4 modules from either side, and one module up. This motor protrudes one module from the rest of the hub, with a 3×3 end resembling the end of a large powered up motor. 

The sides of the rear 11 modules are dark stone grey. There are vertical connector points (holes) one module up, and protruding at positions 1,3,and 4,5,6 on each side.

There are alternating horizontal and vertical pin holes on the top row, from positions 5-9.

At the front, there are alternating horizontal and vertical connector holes from 11-15, one module up from the base.

Finally, at the front, there are horizontal connector holes above, below and either side of the C motor shaft. At the rear, there are is a row of holes between , as well as above and below, the rear motor outputs.

There are 6 lights present.  Channels 1,2,3 and 4 are located across the top at the front, on the outer 2 modules, while lights 5&6 are at the rear panel, on the outermost points, left and right.

The light points are 3.18mm sockets which will admit a simple bar connection, but I imagine the the full effect will only be achieved with transparent bars. In this set, we have flexible transparent clear rods that will plug into these light sockets.

At this stage, I am uncertain about the nature of the sensors that might be included in the hub, but I am sure we will get an idea as we start playing with the finished model.

The rechargeable battery measures 3x3x11 modules and slides in and out from the top of the motor. While it is charged via a USB-C connection on the left-hand side of the hub, I hope a replacement battery and recharger become available. It is labelled as 3.6V/2100mAh/7.56Wh. The battery has 3 connector pins—2 positive, while the other 3 are -ve.

I have some strong feelings about this hub, but I’ll talk about those a little later.

The Build

We start by building the core of the chassis. We connect the rear wheel hubs directly to the side motor outputs (A&B) at the rear of the hub. There is no suspension here. The chassis’s structure is based heavily on frame and beam connections.The steering mechanism comes straight from the front motor (C), which drives a rack-and-pinion mechanism.

At this point, we are invited to test the build to see that everything is in order before losing all access to the inner workings.

We fire up the Contol+ App, and select the Porsche. Please note, this was a beta version of the App for early review, and things may well evolve by the time the set hits the streets. We switch on the hub,and the app sets out to shake hands and play nicely. We select the test button initially for the steering and subsequently for the drive mechanism.

During the process a few things are apparent: the left and right rear motors are independent (as we might suspect from the different channel labels) and all of the light channels (4 on the front end, two on the back) can be activated independently.

Bag 2: The return of Fibre optics

During the next building phase, we build up the car’s rear end, and install the tail lights.

Now, I am building this fresh off the McLaren P1 build, and a lot of the subtlety involved in shaping a Technic car to look just right is lost on me. That said, I am amazed at the relative density of the set. I am a little surprised to see that in this part of the build, we added a component that prevents the battery from being dislodged or even consciously removed.

However, we see the return of fibreoptic lighting elements.

A quick distraction

Fibre optic lighting elements make their return in this set after being absent for a quarter of a century! That sounds like a bold statement. Fibreoptic elements made an appearance in the 1990s as part of Technic, Space (UFO) and Mindstorms themes. The central unit contained a light and a central core into which the thin fibre optic elements would plug. An axle through the core of the unit ensured that the fibres would glow in turn, pulsing as they went. The axle would be driven by a 9v Micromotor – a remarkable piece of outsourced engineering that was able to drive the lights, so they might pulsate for hours at a time.

While I have a copy of the UFO set 6979 Interstellar Starfighter, and the Fibreoptic unit appears intact, the micromotor unit has seen better days. Perhaps it is time time to consider investing in a new one, to investigate this set further.

Unfortunately, some of the sets these elements came in were sold for less than these electronic components alone. This certainly did not help the LEGO Group’s financial position at the turn of the century. And after appearing in just a few sets, fibreoptics became another historical footnote in the world of corporate accounting.

But now, the LEGO Group has come to embrace Sensible Business Practices™, including such elements in a set would be folly. So what has been done there? Apart from increasing the price? The lighting for this car is controlled in a solid state fashion: all electronics, and none of the moving parts that were required back in the 90s. The fibre optic elements are ‘Standard LEGO Bar ‘ thickness for their entire length yet maintain a degree of flexibility. They plug into a socket over the light element in the hub at one end, and can be inserted into a Technic half pin with a transparent tile or brick over the other. And so, things have returned, hopefully in a way that will be more viable than previously. But, we are yet to have a way to properly control the lights in this hub…

Bag 3: The Backend and tail lights

After assembling the car’s back end, we focus on building a cage for the central chassis. Again, I am finding almost every connection reinforced, for maximum rigidity.

Bag 4: The Front end

We go to work on the front, creating that distinctive Porsche shape, and in the process we put together the headlights. The four ticks printed on the lights represent the 4 LED units that are incorporated into Porsche headlights.

The fibreoptic rods are covered by a black sheath and have a somewhat challenging path to travel as you attach the front end, ensuring the fibreoptics plug into the hub. Along the way, we install the front wheel arches—new elements (in black) in this set.

Bag 5: Body building

Bag five sees us mainly working on the rear spoiler and the roof. These elements are joined together across a row of pegs, and then secured onto the chassis with a single bar. The panels forming the main shape of the roof are given their colour bands through the use of stickers.

Bag 6: Closing the cabin and finishing touches.

There is a curious amount of time spent on getting just the right angle for rear pillars – with their angulation owing a bit to the careful placement of an upright bar and 1 module spacer.

We install the front arches for the windscreen as well as the doors. A ball attached to the door ‘clicks’ into the hole in a connector, holding the door closed. Around now, we install the steering wheel, which is completely detached from the steering mechanism: its all about the look!

We add the wheels, and before you know it, we are done.

I Appreciate the final model – it bears a good resemblance to the real life version.

So, what do we do with it now?

Cruising with Control+

The primary tool to play with the Porsche is through a new profile in the LEGO Technic Control Plus App. The Control+ app serves as a control system for all of the Technic sets incorporating elements from the Powered Up Platform. Since the platform debuted in 2019, it has been host to 11 Technic models, providing a level of fancy skinned control to allow builders to show off their new remote-controlled toy.

I was fortunate to have access to a beta version of the software, incorporating the profile for this set. The final release version might differ.

You are invited to push the green button on the hub to pair the Move Hub with the App. We are then shown how the controls work for the car. Along the way, we unlock achievements, which seem to give us access to photos from the real life GT-4’s press tours!

A learn Screen also gives us the chance to learn about the real car, highlighting different features of the car while we manipulate the model in the real world.

Now for the drive: controls are simple enough: a slider for steering and another for throttle. There is a power boost button as well as another to toggle the lights on and off. A stop watch allows you to time your drive, while an indicator in the middle of the screen shows the battery charge remaining. The app emits a slight hum, with an increasing electronic whine as velocity increases.

The controls can be reversed if desired.

The light switch activates the head and tail lights. The tail lights brighten when you push the brake pedal.

Here, we take the car for a quick zoom around the backyard. It is fairly manoeuvrable, with a turning circle of around 135 cm. Should you crash, the lights flash on and off while the device running the app makes a ‘Thunk!’ sound.

In speed trials, it accelerates significantly faster than the Boost Boost Move hub but not as rapidly as a single pullback motor incorporated in the Mercedes F1 pullback that we looked at earlier in the year. However, the electric car maintains speed, and keeps going

The Technic Move Hub

This set adds a new Powered Up device to the armamentarium of LEGO Technic builders, ideally suited to building a steerable car. For the time being, the features of the hub are locked away from end users, but I would like to imagine that at sometime in the near future, we will be able to access the hub’s features, either through the using the Powered Up, or through a third party creative solution such as PyBricks. Pybricks is a system which allows you upload code directly to a hub element, and run it without a tethered App. This is limited somewhat by the intrinsic memory in each hub, and I am not quite ready to initiate a tear down of this hub yet.

The closest element in the powered-up toolbox at preset is the Boost hub, which has 2 built-in motors, along with position sensors, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. It’s a little smaller than the new technic hub and needs another motor to reach comparable capability.

The rechargeable Lithium-ion battery battery is rated at 7.6 Wh/2100mAh. Six AA batteries (alkaline) would be rated at around 2850 mAh, while 6 AAA would be close to 950 mAH. It can be recharged without a screwdriver by simply opening the left door and plugging in a USB-C cable. We are given an estimate of the time to full charge, and duration the car could run.

So, what can we infer about the hub, from what we have seen using this model in conjunction with the Control+ App?

Outputs:

3xL Technic motors. Motors A&B have outputs to the side and the rear – running at the same speed, at 90º to one another. They run significantly faster than the motors in the Boost Hub.

6 Lights – four to the front, two to the rear. Individually addressable, with adjustable brightness (demonstrated by the use of brake lights while lights are on)

Inputs

3-axis accelerometers/gyroscopes – demonstrated by the ability to rotate the vehicle in 3 dimensions to explore the features of the real car, as well as the crash detection.

The Technic motors incorporate position sensors – essential for the steering motor, allowing it to calibrate. You can also demonstrate the role of these sensors by gripping the drive wheels, slowing them down, and seeing the measured speed displayed on the App’s dashboard drop.

There are no external ports for you to add external sensors, lights or motors. The new fibreoptic elements allow for flexible locations of individual lights, and the rods are thinner than the regular Powered Up Lights.

If we compare this with the Boost hub: the motors are slower, including the external medium lineal motor. It maintains the accelerometer and gyroscopic functions but has 2 ports. One is used with the motor, while the other is typically used with the light/colour sensor that comes with that set..

Overall, I see this hub as having huge potential, but until it is freed up from the confines of the Control+ app to allow some customisation, it is little more than a big grey brick with some wobbly bits. I would love it to be able to pair with a regular Powered Up remote, allowing movement and steering without the confines of a phone App. Hopefully, we will see this capability added soon. We typically see the Powered Up App updated between August and October; perhaps we will get some more information soon.

One Last Feature.

The set comes in a box with a flip-top lid.

After you remove the rear wing, the box is just the right size for the completed model. It is perfect for when you are ready to put it away after playing with it.

My thoughts

This set is priced on par with the 42160 Audi E-Tron. That set is equipped with 3 large Technic motors, a Technic hub, and independent suspension. This set features a new, non expandable hub, and no suspension is included: it is very much a vehicle for the track rather than off-road. The Porsche feels a little expensive, especially since the new hub is essentially a brick if you try to use it in any other way.

It is fairly maneuverable, and it was possible to start running figure 8s without too much drama. It certainly bears a strong resemblance to the source material and is recognisable. Would it be so without the stickers? I am unsure. The branding certainly helps!

Overall, the app gives us a taste for what the hub can achieve, if you are able to program it. It shows off the gyroscopes as well as the lighting, to say nothing of the 3 motors. I am excited to see the return of an updated fibreoptic lighting system. It is effective, and I can see it providing plenty of interest in the future. There are little details , such as the brake lights, that make the experience all the more worthwhile.

The App design includes plenty of features to demonstrate the hub’s capabilities, even if they are unlikely to be frequently used in daily play.

But ultimately, until the hub is accessible to other programs, it is just a brick, and little more than that. That said, I can’t wait to see someone reimagine the Mindstorms Dark Side Developer kit AT-AT with the new hub, adding pulsing guns to the walking function.

I am disappointed that it was not specified that you require a charger and USC-C cable to recharge the battery. You can presume that the owner of a mobile phone will have a compatible charger – but you do need to ensure they have the right cable to plug in!

Overall, I enjoyed the build-and-play process, but for a remote-controlled car, it feels a little excessive. I’d probably recommend it if it’s on sale or if you can secure that GWP that you really want or on Insiders weekends with double points.

The set will come into its own when the hub is opened to be controlled by other software. This will probably push me from three to four arbitrary praise units. Until then, the new Hub is just a studless brick.

The LEGO Technic 42176 Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car goes on sale on August 1 2024 and has a recommended retail price of $AUD249.99/$USD169.99/149.99€/ £169.99. It is available for preorder now.

What do you think of this set? Is a remote control car your thing? Would you prefer a dedicated car, or does the LEGO set make it better value for money? Leave your comments below.

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Until Next Time,

Play Well!